#Sustainability

2025-10-08

YKK to exhibit at Textile Exchange Conference 2025 in Lisbon

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) will exhibit at the Textile Exchange Conference 2025 in Portugal, held from Monday, October 13 to Friday, October 17, to showcase its products and initiatives that contribute to the realization of a circular economy in the fashion industry.

Showcasing YKK’s initiatives toward a circular economy

The annual Textile Exchange Conference brings together global stakeholders from the fashion and textile industries—including brands, supply chain partners, innovators, farmers, NGOs, and academics—to explore solutions for a sustainable future. The 2025 theme, “Shifting Landscapes,” focuses on climate adaptation and systemic transformation.

As an active member of Textile Exchange, YKK is committed to advancing sustainability across the global textile value chain. At this year’s conference, YKK will present its efforts to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, including:

+++ Zipper and fastening products made from recycled inputs, including textile-to-textile and metal material recycling, contribute to the realization of a circular economy, such as: NATULON®, NATULON® Fiber Sourced™, NATULON Plus® with Recycled PET Open Parts, and the Recycled Mono-material Detachable Button & Rivet, recipient of the 2025 Red Dot Award in the Sustainable Design category.

+++ Zippers and fastening products that enable garment repair and recycling, such as Revived Renewal Components.

+++ Helping to enhance supply chain transparency through technologies like TouchLink®

+++ Initiatives to reduce environmental impact across the entire product lifecycle

+++ Progress updates on long-term goals under the “YKK Sustainability Vision 2050”

Textile Exchange Conference 2025

Dates: October 13 (Mon) – 17 (Fri), 2025

(Main sessions will be held from October 14 (Tue) to 16 (Thu))

Venue: Lisbon Congress Centre (Lisbon, Portugal)

Official Website: https://textileexchange.org/conference-2025/

YKK is focusing on the development of products and technologies which contribute to the circular economy – where materials and products are used for as long as possible and continuously circulated – to achieve the “YKK Sustainability Vision 2050.” Going forward, YKK will continue to promote the reduction of environmental impact and make contributions to the circular economy via initiatives such as using recycled materials, designing products with the assumption that they will be repaired and recycled, and recycling waste into new resources.

Recycled Polyester Challenge

The Recycled Polyester Challenge, a joint initiative between Textile Exchange and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, calls on the fashion industry to source 45% to 100% of its polyester from recycled materials by the end of 2025. This initiative aims to prevent an influx of virgin fossil-derived synthetic fibers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and facilitate a transition to circular materials.

YKK launches “YZiP® Light” aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has launched YZiP® Light, a lightweight aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants, with sales beginning in late March. The introduction of YZiP® Light expands YKK’s zipper portfolio—led by the flagship YZiP® copper alloy zipper—providing customers with greater flexibility to meet diverse garment needs.

Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® wins the iF Design Award 2026

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereinafter “YKK”) is proud to announce that its Revived Replacement Elements for VISLON® has been awarded the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD 2026, an award that recognizes excellence in design and quality, organized by iF Design Foundation.

A new standard to combat plastic waste in forests

With DIN SPEC 35808 “Tree Shelter for Forestry Applications,” the testing and research service provider Hohenstein, in collaboration with Rottenburg University of Forestry, as well as forestry authorities and industry partners, has established a clear framework for bio-based and fully biodegradable tree shelters. The pre-standard defines requirements and practical testing methods designed to reduce plastic waste in forests and strengthen the long-term protection of soil and the environment.

Denim moves towards sustainability

EIM (Environmental Impact Measurement), the global reference platform for measuring the environmental impact of garment finishing, presents the second edition of its annual report Denim Industry Progress & Insights 2025. The study analyses over 100,000 real denim finishing processes, providing an accurate and up-to-date view of the industry’s evolution towards more sustainable models.

Europe’s textile future at a turning point: New 2030 Circularity Blueprint aims to scale recycling and unlock investment opportunities

The EU textile system is at a critical crossroads. Today, less than 1% of discarded garments are recycled into new garments, despite EU-wide obligations for separate collection. In response, Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is launching the 2030 Circularity Blueprint, in partnership with ReHubs. This ambitious initiative is designed to support the transformation of the EU textile ecosystem to advance textile-to-textile recycling and drive the transition to a circular economy.

STFI highlights textile circular economy and alternative fibres at INDEX™ 2026

From 19 to 22 May 2026, INDEX will invite visitors to Lake Geneva for the world's leading nonwovens trade fair. The Centre of Excellence in Nonwovens at the Sächsisches Textilforschung- sinstitut e.V. (STFI) will be in attendance to present the latest developments in nonwovens research. In the field of the textile circular economy, the STFI will present acoustically effective nonwovens made from chemical recycling residues. The range also includes innovations aimed at replacing conventional raw materials, such as the biobased and biodegradable polymer polybutylene succinate (PBS) and Kendyr as an alternative to cotton.

FET’s revolutionary gel spinning system wins Techtextil Innovation Award

FET has received the prestigious Techtextil Innovation Award 2026 in the New Production Technology category. The Techtextil Innovation Award honours outstanding ideas in textile technology, sustainability, AI and the creation of technical textiles, selected by an international jury of experts. Ranging from new materials to new production technologies, this award recognises progressive ideas that are driving forces for numerous industries, such as automotive, medical and construction.